


Mysterious Ways

by carrionkid



Category: Marvel (Comics), X-Factor (Comics), X-Men (Comicverse)
Genre: Battle Kisses, Canon Compliant, M/M, Making Out Atop A Pile Of Corpses, hi K if you're stalking my ao3 i'm sorry here's another bloody kisses fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-16
Updated: 2018-01-16
Packaged: 2019-03-05 17:15:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13392495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carrionkid/pseuds/carrionkid
Summary: uhhh i read x-factor investigations like 5 years late but mid-battle kisses are my Kink--Still, you have to be ready to adapt to anything,he thinks as he pulls back his arm, squaring up to uppercut the robot closest to him in the chin. The robot’s neck snaps, giving off sparks as it falls limp against its back. Even with the brass knuckles, a gift from Star, pain buzzes in his hand, a faraway sensation now that adrenaline is kicking in. At least they’re only robots and he doesn’t have to stop Star from killing some nameless henchmen trying to make a few dollars.





	Mysterious Ways

Technically they’re paired off, more times than not they’re running interference for each other, whether that happens because Madrox knows they have experience or if it’s some twisted attempt to say ‘I’m okay with all of  _ this’  _ is up for debate. As far as Madrox goes, he can’t get a read on him but he seems alright. Somewhere in the fray they got separated which is okay, but it still kind of makes him jumpy even if by all rights he’s probably the one that needs protecting now.

 

_ Still, you have to be ready to adapt to anything _ , he thinks as he pulls back his arm, squaring up to uppercut the robot closest to him in the chin. The robot’s neck snaps, giving off sparks as it falls limp against its back. Even with the brass knuckles, a gift from Star, pain buzzes in his hand, a faraway sensation now that adrenaline is kicking in. At least they’re only robots and he doesn’t have to stop Star from killing some nameless henchmen trying to make a few dollars. 

 

He pauses, giving a few seconds to catch his breath and clear his mind. Madrox and Monet are on extraction and he just has to help the others buy them time. Ducking under the metallic arm swinging for him, he kicks the bot in the back of the knees, sending it falling to the ground. He hits another one in the sweet spot under its chin, sending it careening backwards into the bots standing behind it.

 

There’s a break in the onslaught of robots so he pauses, trying to catch his breath again. The brass knuckles were a nice sentiment but it’s times like these when not having his powers aches the most. If he thinks about it for too long, he’ll end up drowning in the feelings of being useless. Nothing’s moved up to take the place of the bots he’s downed but he isn’t gonna complain. That is, until he realizes it looks like they’re retreating, which is never a good sign.

 

That feeling’s only compounded by the fact that the hair on the back of his neck is standing up, something that only happens when a living thing is behind him. He pivots on his feet, lightning fast, fist curled to impact with the guy’s jaw.  _ So much for stopping Star from killing someone. _

 

The guy he hit staggers backwards, holding one hand to his jaw and looking confused. It always happens whenever he gets involved in combat, which is more and more often now that Star’s around. People wanna know why someone in a mutant fight isn’t using powers, robots don’t really care that much. Unless they’re sentinels, but he hasn’t run into any of those in a long time. One of the guy’s buddies comes charging forward, gun drawn, only to get kneed in the stomach. 

 

He’s breathing hard, hands curled into fists as the third henchman stares him down. It’s a test to see who’ll move first and he’s pretty sure he won’t be able to get the jump on this guy unless he’s already on the move. One of them’ll have to move eventually and he’s just counting down the seconds.

 

“RICTOR!”

 

He knows Star can hold his own against opponents as sloppy as these but that doesn’t stop his heart from jumping to his throat. He’s got a vague idea of where Star ended up, so he crouches down, gearing up to run. Breaking off into a sprint past the guy facing off with him, he zig-zags to make it harder to shoot him. The guy looks confused as he sprints by and he’d laugh if he wasn’t feeling so stupidly panicky. 

 

A couple yards away, he can see the glint of Star’s swords in the sunlight, a beacon among the green of the trees surrounding the complex they’re supposed to be infiltrating. He puts on another burst of speed, twisting to the side to use his shoulder to body slam one of the men surrounding Star. The guy goes down with a satisfying  _ oof  _ and he stands with one foot on the man’s back, holding him down.

 

He curls his hands around his mouth, shouting, “ARE YOU OKAY?”

 

Star turns around, halving the two people closest to him with the grace of a dancer. He grins as they both fall in succession, toppling to the ground with a wet thud. 

 

“I’m fine,” he calls out, “I just wanted to see you!”

 

“You asshole,” Rictor says, no real spite in his voice, “You scared me!” He adds, punching the person next to him hard enough to knock a tooth loose just to drive his point home.

 

“Do you doubt my abilities as a warrior?” Star pouts for a few seconds, not able to keep the face up before waving him over, retracting his swords.

 

“I know you’re good, but it only takes one slip up for something to go really wrong,” Rictor says, pressing down on the man’s back with his boot one last time before walking over to Star.

 

Star steps towards him, bridging the gap between them and getting into his personal space, yet another concept Star never seemed to grasp. It could be how close they are, or it could be the adrenaline coursing through his veins but his heart feels like it’s beating out of his chest. Star’s just as composed as ever, not even winded, but he leans in close enough that Rictor can feel the warmth of his breath against his skin.

 

Star brings his hands up to cup Rictor’s face and while he’s sure this really isn’t the time to be doing this, he’s liking where this is going too much to say anything. Star leans forward, tipping his head back gently so he can kiss him. Star’s lips are soft, pressed against his in a way that almost broaches desperate, and it’s a wonderful cocktail of adrenaline and adoration that makes Rictor’s entire body shiver. He’s so lost in the moment that he doesn’t know what he should be doing until Star tongues at his lips. 

 

He’s about to part his lips and really lean into the moment because fuck the fact that there’s a battle going on around them, this is one of the best things that’s ever happened to him, when Star rips away from him, followed by the telltale click of his swords extending. Rictor opens his eyes, blinking in confusion as the scene comes into focus.

 

Star’s right arm is extended, swords buried deep in the stomach of some poor sucker who decided to try to catch them off guard. His left hand is still firmly held against Rictor’s cheek.

 

Still looking at the assailant, he says, “Excuse me, but we’re trying to have a moment.”

 

Then, he retracts his swords to place his right hand on Rictor’s hip. The quickness of the retraction makes the wounds give off a squelch of blood and Rictor’s face grows hot either with a flush or a splash of arterial spray but Star has a way of doing that to you. There’s definitely splattered blood on Star’s cheek.

 

He gestures to it, “You got a little bit of…”

 

“What?” Star cocks his head, questioningly.

 

“Nevermind,” Rictor rolls his eyes before pulling him back to finish the kiss. 

 

He can feel the blood smearing on the palm of his hand as he pushes it up to tangle in Star’s hair. He leans into it, smiling against Star’s lips. The distant sound of gunfire is cut short, followed by a wolf-whistle so loud that it has to be Banshee. He doesn’t bother opening his eyes as he flips off the general direction of the wolf-whistle.

 

Rictor finally breaks off, voice quiet as he rubs his thumb over Star’s cheek, “Holy shit, I think I’m in love with you.”

 

“I love you too!”

 

Rictor rakes one hand through his hair, ignoring the fact it’s covered in blood, body shaking with energy, “I was kinda worried about the whole ‘making out on top of a pile of corpses’ thing but it was actually  _ really  _ hot.”

 

“It is, isn’t it?” Star adds, beaming at him.

 

“C’mon guys!” Guido shouts, he sounds much closer than Banshee, “Madrox and M are ready for extraction, no thanks to you two.”

 

“GIVE US A SEC,” Rictor shouts back.

 

“I’d say ‘get going or we’ll leave you behind’ but you’d probably like that!”

 

“OH FUCK OFF, WILL YOU?”

 

“I can always teleport us home if that’s preferable,” Star interrupts.

 

“Nah, I’d actually rather wash all this blood off before things get more heated. But we could always shower together,” He offers, more out of self preservation than anything else because Star has a terrible habit of using all the hot water, much to the dismay of everyone at X-Factor HQ. 

 

“Wonderful!” Star adds, punctuating the statement with another kiss, knocking their foreheads together. 

 

They break off, arms slung over each other’s shoulders and he can’t stop himself from grinning like an idiot. Sure, making out with  _ Shatterstar  _ is something he’s thought about in the past but fuck, it’s not something he’d ever thought would happen until Star suddenly ended up back in his life. And yet here he is, covered in blood, high on adrenaline, and out of his fucking mind.

 

_ The world sure works in weird fucking ways. _


End file.
